The Spovangelist

Let’s admit it, yuppie bashing has been around for a long time. Some claim that “too many yuppies” is one thing they can’t stand about Seattle. Yet Spokane has a healthy handful of it’s own brand of yuppiedom, and we’re glad they’re here to stay.

The Spokane Society of Young Professionals (SSYP) is a homegrown network of mostly office going folk “that aim to stimulate business relationships, careers, the community and the economy.” Started back in 2004, the organization began much like Wonderground and the Shrinking Violets: a group of friends decided to roll up their sleeves, put on a party, and bring people together.

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

-Margaret Mead

Anyone who instinctively dismisses Spokane’s yups should think twice before they snub. Walk into an SSYP event and you’ll be instantly welcomed (no matter how dirty or sweaty you are from riding your bike through the mud). Unless you’re a the shy type that suffers from social anxiety, you’ll immediately feel at ease with a hodgepodge of people of all ages and walks of life. While many SSYPers are in law, finance, insurance, real estate, marketing, business development and the like, a good chunk are also from a fairly random cross-section of the Spokane economy.

Membership costs are a low barrier to entry. For just $25 a year you get discounts on SSYP events and occasional member only specials, like a one time 1/2 off Spokane Club enrollment offer. Just think, what is your average tab for a night out on the town? As a scrounger I can attest to the value added catering at member events alone. Anyone looking for employment should seriously consider getting involved, these people just LOVE to network. They’re on Facebook, LaunchPad, and they even have a small group on MySpace as well.

SSYP gatherings are typically short, sweet and to the point. You show up, they get right down to business, and then they send you home. Unlike some other public or social gatherings, people are direct, audible and confident. The diverse scope of events is impressive as well. Their “Beer with…” series is like a miniature Leadership Spokane, providing Q&A access to top industry leaders from around the region.

The Young Professionals of Portland (also founded in ’04) has a similar event series, only it’s called “Bites with the Boss.” There is also “Breakfast of Champions” which is presumably an early morning version of the same kind of thing. While the YPOP event roster includes venues like the Doug Fir Lounge for which Spokane has no equivalent, (yet… that’s right, we’re looking at YOU Select Inn and Rooster Grill on Walnut & 2nd) SSYP has at least beat them to the punch on offering a membership directory. As with many social networking projects in larger cities, YPOP has managed to spin itself off into an intercity association called Young Professionals of America (see related sites below).

This brings us to a critical observation about Spokane. Our community is just big enough that we manage to create our own viable independent organizations, yet not so big that we reach the point of becoming the hub of a larger network. What does this mean for Spokane? Our people have to spend a greater amount of time and energy to “reinvent the wheel,” then run out of steam before reaching the point where we reap the benefits of packaging our product. Just imagine all the business that Portland siphons off their YPA member chapters when they migrate back to the mothership for annual meetings. (So maybe this is somewhat negligible, but still. What made Portland go the extra mile to replicate it’s network?)

Maybe we could snap up some of the Inland Northwest market share and spawn a PSYP (Pullman Society of Young Professionals). YPTC (Young Professionals of the Tri-Cities) already went ahead and did their own thing. We’ve established friendly relations with nearby KCYP (Kootenai County Young Professionals), but the population density gets thinner and thinner the further inland you go. This situation is just another one of the factors that keeps Spokane chronically “simmering below the radar”.

Then there is Seattle over there somewhere, a whole ‘nother beast unto itself. As a yuppie capital across the country, there is almost little purpose in examining their offerings for clues about the potential in Spokane. They have an entire ecosystem of young professional societies that are sometimes place-based, sometimes industry-specific, and sometimes just generally redundant.

Moral of the story? Same as it always has been: Spokane has all the needed ingredients to take off and realize its unique regional potential to the fullest. What does it take to catalyze that transformation? An intimate knowledge of the area, willingness to develop bold new partnerships and benchmarks, and undying dedication to the cause of celebrating our city.

Related Links:

• Young Professionals of Vancouver
• Young Professionals of Corvallis
• Young Professionals of Twin Cities
• Young Professionals of Bloomington
• Young Professionals of Seattle
• Young Professionals of Walla Walla

Tags:   Community · Competition · Non-Profits · Social Observations · Spokane Pride · Sustainable Development4 Comments